OJR group: Name football field after Coach Bernat, keep Wildcat Stadium name

SOUTH COVENTRY — An Owen J. Roberts School District committee has recommended naming the high school football field after a former coach, but retaining the name Wildcat Stadium for the stadium complex.

If approved, the football field would be officially named the Henry J. Bernat Field at Wildcat Stadium. The board will vote on the matter at a board meeting next Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in the high school LGI room.

The recommendation was made at a board committee of the whole meeting Monday night. It comes after a months-long process that began in January, when a small group of citizens headed by Marlin Strohecker, a former district athletic director, approached the school board seeking to change the name of Wildcat Stadium to the Henry J. Bernat Stadium.

Bernat, who is now 84, served as head coach for the Owen J. Roberts Wildcats for 30 years beginning in 1960 and retiring in 1990. Under his leadership, the high school football team accrued 195 wins and boasted eight Ches-Mont League championships and one PAC-10 championship.

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Strohecker had hoped to have a decision on the renaming made by the board this spring, so that the new name would be in place for football season in the fall.

However, Superintendent Michael Christian had recommended in February that the board first adopt a policy on naming facilities before making a decision regarding the stadium. The board reviewed policies from other districts and created a policy for OJR that was adopted last month.

According to that policy, all requests for renaming a facility must be reviewed by a naming advisory committee appointed by the superintendent. In deciding on the stadium renaming, a committee was formed consisting of board members Renee DiLullo and Melissa Booth, High School Principal Richard Marchini, and teachers and coaches.

The committee, which met once for several hours and was facilitated by Christian, weighed the request to rename the stadium in honor of Bernat against the guidelines laid out in the policy.

The guidelines state that “naming of district property may be approved by the Board in recognition of major contributions to the district of such lasting impact that the Board considers special recognition is warranted of a kind not given to the many others who make significant contributions to the district.”

The person being recognized must “exemplify district values,” and be “a role model for students.” He or she must also be noted for one of the following criteria: historical significance; distinguished alumni achievements; a financial contribution not offered as consideration for naming; or “for outstanding service to the district and contributions to education, humanity, or community through their leadership, which is expected to have a significant long term impact.”

“Mr. Bernat meets these criteria,” Christian told the board.

Bernat, a retired high school biology teacher, served the district for 35 years, beginning in 1955. He was head coach of the football team for 31 seasons, from 1960 to 1991, when he retired. During his tenure he was named Coach of the Year eight times by his peers and 15 times by the Philadelphia area media, according to Christian.

He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Hall of Fame, the Tri-County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and Ches-Mont League Hall of Fame. In 31 seasons he had nine league titles; 191 victories; three undefeated teams and 28 consecutive wins, according to information provided by the district.

“Perhaps the strongest legacy is the impact he had on the student athletes. He led with character, he led with integrity. Those are the types of words the alumni used and his colleagues used,” to describe him, Christian noted.

But while the naming advisory committee wanted to honor Bernat, it stopped short of renaming the stadium.

“Every person on the committee said to me ‘It’s still known as Wildcat Stadium.’ There’s one statue on the high school campus, and that’s the wildcat,” said Christian. “As great as Coach Bernat is, the institution itself, and all those within it and who have gone through here is what makes the community.”

For that reason, the committee recommended naming the football field the Henry J. Bernat Field at Wildcat Stadium. A vote on that recommendation must be approved by a majority of six board members, according to the policy.

If it is approved, the field will be renamed when football season begins in the fall. The turf on the field and the running track are both being replaced over the summer. The new name will be in place when it is reopened in August, if the board approves it.

The naming advisory committee had also considered other means of honoring Bernat, possibly by creating some type of district “Hall of Fame.” Booth, who served on the committee, said she and other committee members would like to see a hall of fame or similar honor developed as a means for recognizing the achievements other students, alumni and teachers. Several board members expressed interest in following that suggestion.

About the Author

Laura Catalano is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in books, magazines and newspapers. She is a frequent contributer to The Mercury, for which she writes news, features and a monthly column. She lives in Pottstown and works for the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. Reach the author at LauraC802@aol.com
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